San Diego’s Tourism Industry
The San Diego tourism industry, which employs one in eight San Diegans, generated a total economic impact of $22 billion in 2024, with nearly 80 percent of visitor spending occurring at businesses other than lodging—supporting thriving local businesses in food service, sports, and local attractions.
The award-winning San Diego International Airport connects the region to more than 80 nonstop destinations worldwide, including Japan, the United Kingdom, and Panama. The recently completed new Terminal 1 expands gate capacity, streamlines security, and enhances dining and retail offerings to better serve the region’s growing number of travelers.
From packed stadiums to championship-caliber teams, San Diego’s expanding sports scene has become a powerful draw for visitors and residents alike. Record crowds cheer for the Padres at Petco Park, consistently ranked among the top MLB stadiums in the country, while San Diego Wave FC remains one of the most successful and well-supported clubs in the NWSL. The city’s newest professional team, San Diego Football Club, completed its historic, record-breaking inaugural MLS season with an incredible playoff run that ended in the Western Conference Finals.
Ranked #4 among the best convention centers in the country by The Wall Street Journal, the San Diego Convention Center hosts globally recognized events including Comic-Con International and TwitchCon, drawing hundreds of thousands of attendees annually. Beginning in 2027, San Diego will welcome TED’s annual flagship conference, convening leading thinkers and innovators from around the world in a region long defined by creativity, research, and forward-looking ideas.
Finally, our binational identity makes San Diego a compelling destination: Mexico is just 20 minutes south of Downtown San Diego and influences the region’s vibrant culinary and cultural offerings. And Cross Border Xpress, the world’s first binational pedestrian bridge, connects travelers between the Tijuana International Airport and San Diego, enabling connectivity to Latin America via direct international flights.
JOBS
208K
VISITORS
32.5M
TOURIST SPEND
$14.8B
Key Companies
- Comic-Con Museum
- Del Mar Fairgrounds
- Hotel Del Coronado
- Hornblower Cruise and Events
- Legoland
- Pendry San Diego
- Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens
- TED Conferences
Key Resources
San Diego Tourism Authority is a private, non-profit, mutual benefit corporation composed of approximately 1,000 member organizations, businesses, local governments, with the objective to promote and market the San Diego region as a preferred vacation and meeting destination. Since 2021, SDTA has run a Tourism Accelerator to provide resources for businesses owned by people of color, women, veterans, and those in LGBTQ+ community to facilitate stronger connections with and success in San Diego’s tourism industry.
San Diego Convention Center Corporation is a non-profit public benefit corporation created by the City of San Diego to manage, market, and operate the 2.6 million square foot Convention Center located along the waterfront in downtown San Diego.
San Diego: Life. Changing., an EDC initiative, amplifies opportunities at San Diego life sciences and tech companies and highlights the long-term career offerings, lifestyle options, and life-changing companies available to those who call our region home.
Questions about this industry? Get in touch:
Yavuz Basaran
Coordinator, Economic Development